Pad for damping, inking, or like purposes.



PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

I. K. ROGERS; PAD FOR DAMPING, INKING, 0R LIKE PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1906.

m J/ x d a m Ill-Ill WZZ'MJSS.

rm: NURRIS PETERS ca WAsHlnaTaN. n, c.

ISAAG KNIBB ROGERS, OF BATH, ENGLAND.

PAD FOR DAMPING, INKING, OR LIKE PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Application filed March 5, 1906. Serial No. 304,270.

To (bZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC KNIBB ROGERS, kitemaker, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Mile End, Bath, in the county of Somerset, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Pads for Damping, Inking, or Like Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to pads for damping, inking, and like purposes, and relates more particularly to pads such as used for damping or moistening postagestamps, adhesive labels, and the like. It is well known that in pads of this kind as usually madesuch, for instance, as those in which a roller revolves in a water-trough or in which a sponge dips into water-it is difficult to keep the damping-surface in the proper condition. The said surface is very liable to be too wet when required for use, while the pad after long use accumulates the residues of the gum or adhesive material and becomes clogged or gets into an insanitary and objectionable condition. Now I have found that a block or group of strips or plates of glass, metal, vulcanite, or other suitable hard or rigid nonabsorbent material, packed together on edge in a trough, well, or other fluid container or receptacle, will draw up the liquid in the said trough by capillary attraction, and such liquid rising evenly between all the plates will serve without being liable to become clogged to keep the damping-surface at a proper degree of moisture constantly and uniformly. Such a group of glass or other hard or rigid plates is free from the objection of accumulating the adhesive from the stamps 1 or labels or of becoming clogged and offensive, and it can, moreover, be readily taken to pieces and cleansed, if necessary.

The damping-surface may be formed simply by the top edges of the glass or other strips or plates, which may be ground or leveled to give a smooth surface. As will be obvious, however, the edges may in some cases be provided with a covering of soft material as usual in ordinary padssuch, for in stance, as a piece of cloth or calicowhich will .form the damping-surface proper and be kept moist by the liquid rising between the plates and which can be easily thrown away and replaced by a clean piece when necessary.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, I will now proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view in side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation, of one construction showing the arrangement of the plates or strips in the improved dampingpad. Fig. 3 is a transverse central section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, indicating also the application of a piece of cloth or soft textile material to the surface thereof.

a, is the outer well, trough, or fluid-container which serves to contain the water, ink, gum, or other fluid that the pad is intended to apply to any object pressed upon its upper surface. This well or trough may be of earthenware or zinc, for example, and may have any convenient shape, that shown in the drawings having been found suitable, however. The level of the water or liquid is indicated, for example, by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the flat top 1) suitable filling and emptying holes may be provided, and the ends a of trough or fluid-container a may proj ect above said flat top, and be strengthened by side pieces a 0 represents the strips or plates above referred to, which in the present example are of glass and are placed on edge parallel to each other, forming a single block fitting into the trough. They inay have beveled corners d and be held together in a block by a suitable band esay, for instance, a strip of metal, such as zincextending all around them.

f is a piece of cloth or other textile or absorbent material, which may in some cases (see Fig. 3) form the damping-surface proper instead of simply using the surface of the block itself. It may be kept in position by turning its ends down between the two outer strips or plates, so that the latter nip and hold them in the manner indicated in the drawings.

The liquid may at the commencement be assisted to rise to the surface by squeezing the plates together a few times and after the surface has once become moist it is maintained so uniformly by the natural capillary action between all adjacent surfaces of the strips 0. The general purpose of such a pad is, as stated, to moisten gummed labels or postagestamps and the like; but obviously by using ink, colors, or gum in the trough or fluid-container a the pad can be applied to various analogous purposes, such as for inking type or rubber stamps or even for applying gum or other adhesive to labels which have not yet been coated therewith.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 0f the United States, is

1. A pad of the kind referred to having parallel non-absorbent strips or plates arranged close together for the purpose of keeping a moist surface by capillary attraction between said strips or plates, substantially as described.

2. In a pad of the kind referred to the combination of a fluid-container, and a set of nonabsorbent parallel strips or plates placed close together for drawing up the liquid in said container by capillary attraction substantially as described.

3. In a pad of the kind referred to the combination of a fluid-container, and a set of nonabsorbent strips or plates placed on edge and close together for drawing up the liquid in said container by capillary attraction, substantially as described.

4. In a pad of the kind referred to the combination of a fluid-container, a block formed of non-absorbent plates or strips placed close together on edge, and a textile covering for said block, substantially as described.

5. In a pad of the kind referred to, the combination of a fluid-container, a block of nonabsorbent plates or strips placed close together on edge therein, and a band surrounding said block for holding same together, sub stantially as described.

6. In a pad of the kind referred to, the combination of a fluid-container and a set of glass plates or strips placed close together on edge therein, substantially as described.

7. In a pad of the kind referred to, the com bination of a fluid-container, a set of glass plates or strips placed close together on edge therein, and a covering of absorbent material for said block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of February, 1906.

ISAAC KNIBB ROGERS.

I/Vitnesses O. BARNARD BURDON, H. D. JAMESON. 

